Griffin burst onto the scene in 2005 as part of the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 1, making it all the way to the finals.It's there that he met former roommate Stephan Bonnar in a battle that will likely be remembered as one of the greatest in UFC history.

The fight helped launch the UFC to the next stratosphere of popularity, as the ratings for the show grew with every second that Griffin and Bonnar slugged it out over the three-round battle.When it was over, Griffin was declared the winner, but both fighters were given contracts and the bout is still replayed in highlight reels to this day.

Griffin went on to win the UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86.

While he lost the title one fight later, Griffin stuck around the UFC's light heavyweight division for five more fights before calling it a career.Recently, however, Griffin's body has started to fail him, and with injuries mounting, he decided to retire rather than stick around the sport for too long.

"It's been a good eight years I guess," Griffin said."The biggest thing I've learned is when Dana White says retire, you should retire. Otherwise, you'll blow your knee out before your next fight."

Griffin's reference goes back to December 2012, when he was scheduled to fight Phil Davis at UFC 155, but a knee injury forced him out of the fight.Griffin's win over UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz at UFC 148 will stand as his last ever in the Octagon.

Over the past eight years, Griffin has remained one of the most popular fighters in the UFC and will remain with the company now in his retirement. He said he plans on working with the company's charitable efforts in places like Las Vegas, where he resides.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.